Bhubaneswar: Food quality and safety at ashram schools in the state have come under scrutiny following the death of a Class 5 student on April 14 allegedly due to food poisoning after consuming stale pakhala, saga bhaja and aloo bharta served at the hostel of Kakabandh Ashram School in Mayurbhanj district on April 12.The incident, which has triggered outrage among local communities and education activists, has once again drawn attention to conditions in state-run residential institutes catering to tribal students. While authorities are yet to confirm the exact cause of death pending investigation, preliminary allegations point to the consumption of spoiled food.In Feb last year, over 100 tribal students of Basipitha High School in Mayurbhanj district lodged a complaint with the collector, Hemakant Say, over being served stale and substandard food.According to mess management guidelines for residential schools under the ST and SC development department, a weekly menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner is to be followed and displayed in kitchen and dining areas. Officials said that the hostel menu does not include pakhala.Sibani Besra, victim Rupali Besra’s mother, alleged that pakhala and saga bhaja were cooked for lunch on Saturday and, instead of the scheduled breakfast of upma and curry on Sunday, students were served the leftover food.Activists said issues related to food hygiene, storage and monitoring are often overlooked in some ashram schools, putting students’ health at risk. “This is not an isolated concern. There have been repeated complaints about the quality of meals served in many residential schools. The department should strengthen the monitoring system in these hostels as the existing mechanism is not effective,” Gajapati-based educationist Kailash Dandapat said.Hostel management is overseen by school heads, with regular teachers serving as assistant superintendents responsible for safety, security and mess operations. Food is cooked and served by cooks-cum-attendants, or CCAs, who also handle student safety at night. One CCA is appointed for every 50 boarders. Kakabandh Ashram School has close to 200 boarders.The guidelines clearly state that serving leftover food will be treated as gross negligence on the part of the hostel superintendent and may invite strict disciplinary action, including criminal proceedings.Meanwhile, collector Hemakant Say said a medical team from Cuttack collected water and food samples from the hostel and school on Monday, all of which tested safe. “However, the team could not obtain samples of the food served on Sunday as it was already consumed. Further tests are being conducted to ascertain the cause,” he added.A senior official of the ST and SC development department said an RDC probe has been initiated as per the chief minister’s directive and strict action will follow if negligence is established. “We are taking the matter seriously. Food safety protocols are in place in hostels and any lapse will be dealt with firmly,” the official added.The department administers 1,762 educational institutions across the state, including 1,612 residential schools from primary to higher secondary level, catering to nearly 5.46 lakh hostel students.
